System and method for resealing a lollipop or the like

ABSTRACT

A combination of food stuff and a removable wrapper provides a containment system for the confectionary item. The confectionary item is disposed on a holder formed partially into said confectionary item to permit the user to hold the confectionary item during consumption. A resealable wrapper encapsulates the confectionary item. A resealing member is removably adhered to the resealable wrapper; the resealing member having adhesive on a first side facing the resealable wrapper to define an overlapping area permitting the resealing member to be selectively removed from the resealable wrapper and replaced onto the resealable wrapper to retain the wrapper around the confectionary item or to provide a collectible item that may be removed and restuck onto another surface. A flag member is interposed between the resealing member and the resealable wrapper. The flag member projects away from the overlapping area. The flag member is provided with indicia to notify the user of the availability and use of the resealing member and/or collectible item.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a packaging wrapper for articles, andparticularly for the opening and resealing of handheld food products bythe end user and/or the use of a collectible item on a food product.

2. Description of Related Art

Confectionary items, such as candies, have been made and consumed formany centuries. Candy can be formed into a multitude of shapes, colors,flavors, sizes and textures. Candies can be divided into crystalline andnon-crystalline types. Crystalline candies can be hard, smooth and/orcreamy with a defined structure containing small crystals.Non-crystalline candies, such as toffees, brittles, and caramels, arechewy with a homogeneous structure. These types of candies are formed bythe addition of milk or other protein products to solutions of sugars atelevated temperatures.

Confectionery products are generally packaged individually in a portionof preprinted film of appropriate size and shape, and may be formed on astick or holder. It is thus possible for these individually packagedproducts to be in their turn packed in bulk in a small packaging bag ofan appropriate size. Typically, the article to be packaged is firstcompletely wrapped in a rectangular piece of film and the wrapper thusformed may be closed by twisting the wrapper.

The containment of suckers or lollipops and ice cream bars at the timeof manufacture, during storage prior to sale after being manufactured,and after partial consumption has presented persistent problems in thepast when the end user partially consumes the item and desires topreserve the remainder of the item.

For example, when a paper or plastic film covering has been used,separation of the two at the time of use has frequently resulted in onlypartial removal of the covering. Sometimes, the stickiness of thelollipop is transferred to the fingers and hands of the user duringremoval of the covering. Failure to provide a suitable method ofresealing such containers, using prior techniques, including coverings,has contributed to a failure to recluse or reseal the item after partialconsumption.

Users, especially small children, often desire to only partially consumea lollipop or popsicle at any one point in time, hoping to save theremainder for one or more later points in time. However, the containeror covering used during the on-sale stage of the lollipop or popsicle isusually discarded, but, when it has been saved or a new covering isprovided, the wetted nature of the partially consumed product makessubsequent separation difficult and messy. Often, the partially consumedlollipop is left on a table, a furniture piece, a chair, or a floor,only to be cleaned up and discarded by a frustrated parent.

Sometimes, the user wishes to carry the partially consumed lollipop orpopsicle with him or her for later readily available use. The originalor another covering is typically used and a pocket or purse is sometimesthe temporary storage site. This tends to fuse the covering and thewetted partially consumed lollipop, making all the more difficultsubsequent separation of the two. The pocket or purse may become soiledand sticky as a consequence of direct exposure of the lollipop theretodue to, for example, weeping, pressure, heat, and partial uncovering ofthe stored lollipop.

It is known to provide a sticker or other means to reseal theconfectionary item in its original wrapper; however, the end user failsto recognize the intended use of the sticker. As a result, the end usertends to discard the resealing means rendering it useless. Thus, the enduser has discarded the elements necessary to rewrap and reseal thepartial consumed item.

There has long existed a need for a more satisfactory way of containinglollipops immediately after manufacture, during storage prior to sale,and after partial consumption by the user.

Additionally, there is a need to provide a collectible item on lollipopsand other confectionary items to enhance the experience of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A combination of a food stuff, e.g., a confectionary item, and aremovable wrapper provides a containment system for the confectionaryitem at the time of manufacture, during storage prior to sale afterbeing manufactured, and after partial consumption by an end user. Thecombination containment system may comprise the confectionary itemdisposed on a holder formed partially into said confectionary item topermit the end user to hold the confectionary item during consumption. Aresealable wrapper is formed to at least partially encapsulate theconfectionary item. A resealing member is removably adhered to theresealable wrapper; the resealing member having adhesive on a first sidefacing a surface of said resealable wrapper to define an overlappingarea thereby permitting the resealing member to be selectively removedfrom the resealable wrapper and replaced onto the resealable wrapper toretain the wrapper around the confectionary item. A flag member iseither formed as part of the resealing member or is interposed betweenthe resealing member and the resealable wrapper, wherein the flag memberprojects away from the overlapping area between the resealing member andthe resealable wrapper.

The flag member is preferably provided with indicia to thereby providenotice to the end user of the availability and use of the resealingmember so that the end user is aware of the resealing member and theability to reseal a partially consumed item. When formed as part of theresealing member, the tab or flag member may be perforated for easyremoval. Also, the tab or flag member may be coated with a non-stickycoating on top of the adhesive so that the flag member will lie looseand away from the object on which the resealing member is stuck.

As a result of the unique combination of features provided by thepresent invention, the end user is made aware of his/her ability toreseal the food product after it has been partially consumed by the enduser.

Alternatively, a user may utilize the tab or flag member as a collectoritem. Thus, a user may remove the tab or flag member from the food itemon which it is conveyed and stick it on the door to his room, on aschool book, school locker, dresser mirror, backpack, literally onanything that is clean. The user may want to keep the flag memberbecause it has graphics of his favorite cartoon character, NASCARdriver, rock and roll star, or a roller coaster ride he rode whilevisiting a theme park. The flag member for this user becomes acollectible.

If the user doesn't know the resticker can be removed from the object ofconveyance and place on a different object without leaving a residue ortearing as he would expect a regular label to do, then the user will notrealize the resticker is something he can keep and he will throw it awaywith the wrapper when unwrapping the Lollipop. The restickers can bestuck on trade show magazines, retail catalogs, church bulletins,newsletters, envelopes, drinking cups and then peeled off and restuckanywhere else. The resticker could be a “save the date” resticker that aperson would want to keep and stick on a bulletin board, filing cabinet,or exit door where they will be reminded of that date and to not missit. Without the tab informing the person seeing the resticker that theresticker is something to keep and that it sticks over and over on anyclean surface, the person looking at the resticker is most likely goingto think the resticker is a regular label and will throw it away. So thetab is useful for: a. helping to pull the resticker off the object ofconveyance; b. informing the consumer what the resticker is; c.informing the customer to keep the resticker and not throw it away; d.the tab can be torn off at the perforation so only the message or art onthe resticker remains to be decorative and attractive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a lollipop embodying the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the preferred embodiment ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of FIG. 1 showing the resealingmember and flag member separated from the lollipop and wrapper.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention wherein theresealing member and flag member are formed as a unitary body.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the second embodiment shown inFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5whereby the wrapper is shown partially removed from the confectionaryproduct.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the method steps when forming the flagmember and the resealing member as a unitary body as shown in FIGS. 4and 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention whereby foodstuff 10 comprises a confectionary formed as a lollipop 12 to besupported by a stick or holder 14. While the preferred embodiment ofthis invention is a lollipop, it will be understood that variousdifferent food stuffs (e.g., confectionary products such as lollipops orother food stuff such as ice cream bars or popsicles) may utilize thewrapper system of the invention whereby the end user may reclose andreseal the product after partially consuming the product.

A resealable wrapper 16 at least partially encapsulates theconfectionary item or lollipop 12, and a resealing member in the form ofa sticker 18 is removably adhered to the resealable wrapper 16. In thepreferred embodiment, the resealing member 18 includes adhesive on afirst side facing the resealable wrapper 16 to define an overlappingarea thereby permitting the resealing member or sticker 18 to beselectively removed from the resealable wrapper 16 and replaced onto theresealable wrapper 16 to retain the wrapper 16 around the confectionaryitem.

In accordance with the invention, a flag member 20 is interposed betweenthe resealable wrapper 16 and the resealing member 18. The flag member20 is positioned to project away from the overlapping area between theresealing member 18 and the resealable wrapper 16. The flag member 20 isprovided with identifying indicia 22 to alert and inform the user thatthe sticker or resealing member 18 may be used by the end user to resealthe wrapper 16. The flag member 20 is disposed to project away from theconfectionary product 10 and stand out from all other indicia orornamentation provided by the confectionary product 10, wrapper 16,and/or resealing member 18.

It is known to provide a sticker or other means to reseal theconfectionary item in its original wrapper; however, the end user failsto recognize the intended use of the sticker. As a result, the end usertends to discard the resealing means rendering it useless. Thus, the enduser has discarded the elements necessary to rewrap and reseal thepartial consumed item. According to the present invention, the end useris provided with sufficient notice to use the resealing member 18 inaccordance with its intended use by way of the flag member 20 andresealing member 18.

In accordance with the invention, the flag member 20 includes indicia 22disposed thereon to provide instructions for using the resealing member18. For example, the flag member 20 may include indicia notifying theend user that the resealing member 18 is actually a resealable stickerto be used by the end user. Alternatively, the flag member 20 mayprovide specific instructions on how to reseal the confectionary item.Other indicia 22 may be providing in accordance with preferences by theprovider of the resealing member 18.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the flag member 20 is sandwiched betweenthe resealable wrapper 16 and the resealing member 18, whereby the flagmember 20 is retained in place by adhesive disposed on the resealingmember 18.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that the wrapper 16may be formed and disposed in any one of a various number of knownmethods. Of course, it is preferred that the wrapper 16 may at least bepartially overlapped with itself when encapsulating the confectionaryitem at least along the stick or holder 14. Those of skill in the art,however, will understand that the wrapper 16 may take many forms and maynot overlap upon itself.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by FIGS.4-5 whereby the flag member 20 of FIGS. 1-3 (shown as element 20′ inFIGS. 4-5) is formed as a part of the resealing member 18′ such that theflag member 20′ serves as a pull-tab for the resealing member 18′. Inthis embodiment, the flag member 20′ and resealing member 18′ are formedas one member with the flag member 20′ projecting away from theresealing member 18′ to stand out from and provide visual notice to theend user that the resealing member 18′ may be used to reseal the wrapper16. This notice alerts the end user not to discard the resealing member18 during partial consumption of the food stuff.

For the embodiment of FIGS. 4-5, the flag member 20′ is formed as partof the resealing member 18′ with perforations formed between the twomember 18′, 20′. During manufacturing of the combination resealingmember 18′ and flag member 20′, adhesive is applied to both theresealing member 18′ and flag member 20′. Then, an additional layer ofnon-adhesive or non-sticky material is applied to the flag member 20′ sothat the flag member 20′ will not adhere to the surface to which theresealing member 18′ is applied. Thus, the flag member 20′ will notstick to the surface and the flag member 20′ will lay loose and awayfrom the object (i.e., mailer, catalog, drink cup, lollipop, etc.) towhich the resealing member 18′ is stuck to make it easy to grab hold ofthe combination in order to pull the resealing member 18′ off theobject. The user can also separate the flag member 20′ from theresealing member 18′ at the perforations 19′.

FIG. 7 provides a flow chart showing various steps in the manufacturingprocess for the combination resealing member 18′ and flag member 20′;i.e., when these two members are formed as a unitary body. In step 30, asubstrate is provided to a printing press. In step 32, text or artworkis applied to the substrate by the printing press. In step 34, adhesiveis applied to one side of the substrate, then the substrate is die cutat step 36 as a unitary body as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. At step 38,perforations are created between the flag member 20′ and the resealingmember 18′ so that the flag member 20′ may be separated from theresealing member. Lastly, a non-adhesive, non-sticky material is appliedto the flag member and on top of the adhesive so that the flag member20′ will not adhere to a surface.

FIG. 6 illustrates the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 in a partiallydisassembled state showing the wrapper 16 being removed from the foodstuff.

While the foregoing invention has been shown and described withreference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood that variouschanges in form and detail may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the instant invention as defined herein and bythe prior art.

1. A combination of a confectionary item and a removable wrapper, saidcombination providing a containment system for said confectionary itemat the time of manufacture, during storage prior to sale after beingmanufactured, and after partial consumption by an end user, saidcombination comprising: at least one protein product added to solutionsof sugars at elevated temperatures thereby forming said confectionaryitem; a holder formed partially into said confectionary item to permitsaid end user to hold said confectionary item during consumption; aresealable wrapper formed to at least partially encapsulate saidconfectionary item; a resealing member removably adhered to saidresealable wrapper, said resealing member having adhesive on a firstside facing a opposing surface of said resealable wrapper to define anoverlapping area thereby permitting said resealing member to beselectively removed from said resealable wrapper and replaced onto saidresealable wrapper to retain said wrapper around said confectionaryitem; and a flag member projecting away from said overlapping areabetween said resealing member and said resealable wrapper.
 2. Thecombination according to claim 1, wherein said flag member comprisesindicia disposed thereon providing instructions for using said resealingmember.
 3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said flagmember is sandwiched between said resealable wrapper and said resealingmember.
 4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said flagmember is formed as part of said resealing member.
 5. The combinationaccording to claim 1, further comprising a perforated section separatingthe flag member from the resealing member to permit the flag member tobe separated from the resealing member.
 6. The combination according toclaim 1, further comprising adhesive disposed on the flag member and anadditional layer of non-adhesive material disposed on top of theadhesive on the flag member so that the flag member will not stick tothe resealable wrapper.
 7. The combination according to claim 1, whereinsaid flag member is retained in place by said adhesive disposed on saidresealing member.
 8. The combination according to claim 1, wherein saidwrapper at least partially overlapping with itself when encapsulatingsaid confectionary item.
 9. The combination according to claim 1,wherein said flag member projects away from said resealing member andsaid wrapper to stand out and alert the end user of the intended use ofthe resealing member.
 10. A combination of a food product and aremovable wrapper, said combination providing a containment system forsaid food product after partial consumption by an end user, saidcombination comprising: a food product; a holder formed partially intosaid food product to permit said end user to hold said food productduring consumption; a resealable wrapper formed to at least partiallyencapsulate said food product; a resealing member removably adhered tosaid resealable wrapper, said resealing member having adhesive on afirst side facing a opposing surface of said resealable wrapper todefine an overlapping area thereby permitting said resealing member tobe selectively removed from said resealable wrapper and replaced ontosaid resealable wrapper to retain said wrapper around said food product;and, a flag member sandwiched between the resealable wrapper and theresealing member, said flag member projecting away from said overlappingarea between said resealing member and said resealable wrapper, whereinsaid flag member comprises indicia disposed thereon providinginstructions for using said resealing member.
 11. The combinationaccording to claim 10, wherein said flag member is formed as part ofsaid resealing member.
 12. The combination according to claim 10,wherein said flag member is retained in place by said adhesive disposedon said resealing member.
 13. The combination according to claim 10,wherein said wrapper at least partially overlapping with itself whenencapsulating said food product.
 14. The combination according to claim10, wherein said flag member projects away from said resealing memberand said wrapper to stand out and alert the end user of the intended useof the resealing member.
 15. The combination according to claim 10,wherein said food product is a lollipop.
 16. The combination accordingto claim 10, wherein said food product is a popsicle.
 17. A method ofsealing and resealing a combination of a product and a removablewrapper, said combination providing a containment system for saidproduct, said method comprising the steps of: providing a product;providing a resealable wrapper; at least partially encapsulating saidproduct with said wrapper; providing a resealing member and flag member;removably adhering said resealing member and said flag member to saidresealable wrapper, said resealing member being adhered to saidresealable wrapper to define an overlapping area thereby permitting saidresealing member to be selectively removed from said resealable wrapperand replaced onto said resealable wrapper to retain said wrapper aroundsaid product; and providing indicia on said flag member defininginstructions for using said resealing member.
 18. The method accordingto claim 17, further comprising the step of forming said flag member aspart of said resealing member.
 19. The method according to claim 17,further comprising the step of providing adhesive on the flag member,then providing an additional layer of non-adhesive material on said flagmember to cover the adhesive on the flag member.
 20. The methodaccording to claim 17, further comprising the step of forming said flagmember separate from said resealing member and sandwiching said flagmember between the resealing member and said wrapper.